Emperor Ta

The ripples of the recent battle were still reverberating through space as Chen Beixun sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut; this fight had brought him some realizations.

"The Law of Water, at once infinitely soft and infinitely hard, at once freezing and extreme..."

"To have such insights—it is truly strange. All that bitter cultivation for so long, yet it cannot compare to a single battle."

Although he had gained some insight, he was still a distance away from the threshold of the Law.

Chen Beixun stood up, brushed the accumulated snow from his body, and said, "Time to go." He then shot into the sky, transforming into a streak of light and departing rapidly.

I shall celebrate properly after seizing the treasure, Chen Beixun thought to himself, before frowning and reminding himself, That is a taboo. One must not pop the champagne before the match is over.

Chunqiu suddenly warned, "There is a battle 10,000 kilometers directly ahead. The combatants are a Universe-level ninth rank and a Domain Lord-level first rank!"

Chen Beixun narrowed his eyes, accelerated toward the site of the battle, and did not forget to instruct, "Chunqiu, scout the terrain and select a position suitable for concealment."

"If the Demon Island Vine detects anything, strike with full force! Do not hold back!"

"Understood," both responded in unison.

Red light suddenly erupted in the sky, followed by a powerful blast of wind and the sound of explosions, with lightning snaking and coiling as it struck the ground.

Seeing this, Chen Beixun could not help but stop. He concealed his aura and gazed into the distance, seeing two figures constantly clashing and emitting strange golden light.

Chen Beixun hid behind a large boulder, calmly analyzing the situation.

"Emperor Ta and Emperor Mu."

"Is this Emperor Mu being a bit too cautious? Why on earth is he doing this? He could clearly kill Emperor Ta outright." Chen Beixun frowned, silently observing the pair.

Fortunately, his own concealment abilities were quite profound, and he had the Demon Island Vine helping to mask his presence; otherwise, with Emperor Mu's Domain Lord-level telekinesis coverage, he would have had nowhere to hide.

Since the two strongest are right here, I might as well let the Demon Island Vine attack, Chen Beixun thought, rubbing his chin before changing his mind. Let me gather more information first. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

I will play it safe to avoid any complications. He kept his focus on the two battling figures, Emperor Mu and Emperor Ta.

"Emperor Ta, you have some tricks up your sleeve," Emperor Mu said, looking at the distant Emperor Ta with a playful expression.

After a round of fighting, Emperor Ta naturally sensed something was wrong and felt a sense of foreboding in his heart.

This isn't right. Although I haven't fought this guy before, I had a rough estimate of his strength. The more Emperor Ta thought about it, the more alarmed he became. Could it be that he has broken through to the Undying Realm!?

Though terrified, Emperor Ta did not yield in his speech, haughtily retorting, "You aren't so bad yourself."

Hearing this, Emperor Mu gave a contemptuous smile and said, "Emperor Ta, you need more training." Internally, however, he thought, I still need to control Ancient Emperor Suanjiang. There are many Ancient Emperor-level powerhouses nearby; exposing myself rashly would be unwise. If that Ancient Emperor Suanjiang escapes, it will be difficult to handle.

After I head to the Center Island to harvest the treasures, I will control Ancient Emperor Suanjiang and leave this place... Heh... before I leave, I will naturally settle the score.

Emperor Ta's gaze darkened as he spoke, "I don't have time to waste with you here." He then transformed into a bolt of purple lightning and departed.

Seeing the two about to leave, Chen Beixun's brows locked together. Realizing he could wait no longer, the boulder in front of him shattered instantly. No longer hiding his killing intent, he shouted, "Demon Island Vine!"

A hundred crimson vines shot into the sky, blotting out the sun like dragons riding the wind to soar ninety thousand li.

Emperor Ta and Emperor Mu looked back simultaneously, startled out of their wits.

"It's that strange vine belonging to Ancient Emperor Suanjiang!" Emperor Ta exclaimed in shock, immediately accelerating in an attempt to flee.

The Demon Island Vine lunged forward with eerie speed, blocking their path.

Emperor Ta jerked his body, nearly colliding with the vine, and cursed inwardly, How did this vine reach the Undying Realm?!

In just a moment, the vines of the Demon Island Vine wove together to form a dome, covering the surroundings.

Green flames rose from Emperor Ta's body as he prepared for a desperate battle.

Emperor Mu wore a mournful expression, gripping his long saber tightly as he transmitted his voice, "Emperor Ta, let us join forces!"

"Get lost!" Emperor Ta roared.

Emperor Mu frowned slightly, cursing inwardly, What is he going crazy for at a time like this?

Emperor Ta glanced at Emperor Mu and used his telekinesis to amplify his voice, "Ancient Emperor Suanjiang, you and I have no grudges or grievances; why do this?"

The only response to Emperor Ta was two 'Tianqu Cone' flying wheels tearing through the air. Seeing this, Emperor Ta's eyes widened in fury. A long spear appeared in his hand, which he brandished like willow catkins in the wind, parrying the 'Tianqu Cone' wheels and casting them aside.

The technological wings on Emperor Ta's back ignited with eerie blue flames, and in an instant, he flew before Chen Beixun, brandishing his spear to strike him down.

With the Demon Island Vine present, how could he succeed? It arrived in a flash, lashing out at Emperor Ta, who transformed into streaks of afterimages to evade the attack.

So fast! This is no different from teleportation, Chen Beixun marveled at Emperor Ta's speed, extending several vines from the Demon Island Vine to surround himself.

Suddenly—

Space twisted slightly, as if a black hole had been born out of thin air, swallowing all matter.

Emperor Mu looked up at the dome formed by the Demon Island Vine, only to see a black dot at its center continuously devouring matter. Emperor Mu's face turned ashen as he exclaimed, "What is that?"

He looked toward Emperor Ta, who was now struggling desperately to escape the gravitational pull. His form gradually became distorted until he vanished entirely.

"Emperor Ta is dead?"

Emperor Mu's gaze turned cold, and he first sidestepped a sudden attack from the Demon Island Vine.

He then raised his saber and slashed at the incoming vines.

Instantly, arcs of electricity splattered like tiny green snakes, scattering in all directions and transforming into countless spheres of lightning that rampaged wildly.

Emperor Mu flicked his hand gently, and the orb of light suddenly flared, its white radiance nearly swallowing the canopy formed by the Demon Island Vine.

Within the white light, the vines of the Demon Island Vine near Emperor Mu gradually blurred until they vanished; as the light faded, the vines reappeared, though they were now nothing more than ashen outlines.

Although the attack was fierce, the Demon Island Vine possessed tenacious vitality and recovered quickly.

The vines of the Demon Island Vine shrank to the size of a bowl, with seventy-eight main vines coordinating to besiege, strangle, and entwine Emperor Mu. Emperor Mu gripped his long blade, hacking wildly, each strike imbued with a trace of the Origin Law of Thunder, landing on the vines with a thunderous clash.

Emperor Mu's strikes were sharp, swift, and immensely powerful, displaying unparalleled ferocity.

Streaks of purple lightning surged from the ground toward the sky, striking the Demon Island Vine; even a hundred miles away, the scent of burning could be smelled. The momentum was heaven-shaking, and the roar of thunder was incessant.

Emperor Mu's figure flickered unpredictably, leaving behind trails of overflowing electric light wherever he passed.

At this moment, Chen Beixun sat cross-legged, the nine crystals within his sea of consciousness trembling violently as he guided them into formation.

The nine crystals arranged themselves into the Nine Star Formation, the supreme Nine Star, focused entirely on offense with no regard for defense.

"Go!" Chen Beixun's gaze turned cold, and the crystals shot forward silently. Emperor Mu was startled and immediately bellowed, "Get lost!"

His movements slowed down instantly.

In the midst of battle, a single breath is enough to decide the outcome. Under the cover of other vines, one vine of the Demon Island Vine launched a surprise attack, firmly coiling around Emperor Mu's arm. Like a crocodile, it performed a death roll, forcibly tearing off Emperor Mu's arm as blood sprayed out in an instant.

Emperor Mu's eyes turned icy. His long blade never ceased, slashing toward the vines. The blade light flared like a passing comet, slicing a tiny fissure into space with a single strike before it rapidly closed, shattering the several vines before him into millions of tiny fragments.

He pulled a black orb from his spatial ring, jammed it into his severed arm, and struck it with the hilt of his blade. The arm restored instantly, and his aura surged significantly.

"Damn it, his rank is far higher than mine! My attacks are having minimal effect on him." Chen Beixun clenched his fingers into a fist and hammered the ground, sending countless grains of sand flying.

The battle grew increasingly intense. Emperor Mu's swordsmanship was formidable, and the Demon Island Vine's regenerative ability was terrifying. Emperor Mu desperately wanted to kill Chen Beixun directly; whether he could get out or not no longer mattered to him.

His life was on the line!

Yet the Demon Island Vine's attacks never ceased; if he were to slow down even for a moment, he feared he would be finished.

"I have to think of a way," Chen Beixun pondered.

"His swordsmanship is fierce; I must use constant, sustained attacks to keep him too busy to react."

"That's it! I'll just wear him down to death!"

"And this guy is hiding so much!" Chen Beixun's brows furrowed into a deep crease.

This was the most troublesome opponent the Demon Island Vine had ever encountered.